Since the first Neon Marketplace opened in Middletown in 2020, the convenience store and gas station has set a course to challenge how the Northeast thinks about gas stations, particularly the food.
They've also been expanding rapidly in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. On Friday, the chain opened its ninth location, this time in North Providence at 1874 Mineral Spring Ave. Like another convenience store chain that got its start in Rhode Island, they're hoping to be a major player in the space.
Here's what to know about Neon Marketplace.
What is Neon Marketplace?
Neon Marketplace is a convenience store and gas station but with an eye toward making it stylish.
What does that mean? In the design of these convenience stores, some thought has clearly gone into what Millenials and Gen Z like. The interiors feature sleek modern, design elements. The marketplace has local products mixed in. But the big draw is their food and drink menu, with premium coffees, brick-oven pizza and a lot more, with a sizable seating area in the footprint of their stores. The overall concept is food forward, which is an upgrade on what people have typically thought of as gas station food.
Of course, they also sell gas and have charging for electric vehicles.
OK, so what food can you order at Neon Marketplace?
The most talked about item is probably the brick oven pizza, which comes in cheese, pepperoni, meat lovers, barbeque chicken and buffalo chicken, but that's certainly not the only draw.
Location dependent, Neon Marketplace also serves:
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Breakfast sandwiches
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Salads
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Mac and cheese
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Grinders
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Burgers
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Chicken sandwiches
For a deep dive into the food, Providence Journal Food Editor Gail Ciampa got an inside look last summer that will make you want a slice of pizza.
What drinks can you get at Neon Marketplace?
When it comes to drinks, expect to find a similar menu to what you would find at a coffee shop, with the classic hot drinks, iced drinks and frozen drinks.
They also have a lineup of milkshakes that include the ones you would expect, but also pays homage to the quirkiness of Rhode Island with the Wicked Good Coffee Milk milkshake (though the in-store menu might only say coffee). Plus, they have Red Bull Energizer drinks, fountain drinks and frozen drinks.
How many locations does Neon Marketplace have? Where are they?
Neon Marketplace is a growing chain with plans to keep expanding, but as of Sept. 29, 2023, they have nine locations.
Neon has six locations in Rhode Island in Providence, Warwick, East Greenwich, Middletown, Portsmouth and North Providence. They have three locations in Massachusetts in Seekonk, Freetown and Quincy.